Nail clipper with catching side walls

ABSTRACT

A nail clipping device for preventing the nail clippings from jumping away from the clipper and being scattered around the nail clipping site. This device includes vertical catching side walls that are extended from both sides of upper and lower elongate parts of the clipper. The height of each catching side wall is just a little bit shorter than a half of the distance between the upper and lower elongate parts of the clipper when it is closed for cutting. When the clipper is not used the upper and lower catching side walls are apart from each other. However, when it is closed for nail clipping, the catching side walls approximate each other leaving just a small gap between them to form a side barrier to trap the nail clippings within. After clipping nails, by opening the clipper and holding it vertically the clippings can be disposed to desired place. The best point is that this invention does not have complicated structure, and does require minimal or almost no additional cost to manufacture comparing the most common type of nail clipper in current market. And it looks almost identical to the common type of nail clippers except shallow vertical side walls on upper and lower elongate parts that helps people to use this clipper without any hesitation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for preventing nail clippings fromjumping away and being scattered around during clipping nails.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently most common method to clip nails is by means of nail clipperthat comprises two substantially similar, spring like elongate parts,each having a first end forming a transverse cutting edge. And thesecond ends of the elongate parts are affixed together such that thecutting edges at the first ends are normally spaced apart but can bepressed into cutting engagement against the natural spring bias of theelongate parts. This type of nail clippers has been used for many yearsbecause it is easy to use, no maintenance is needed, and it can bemanufactured at low cost. The biggest inconvenience of this type of nailclipper is that the clipped part of the nail usually jumps from theclipper and scatter around that bothers the nail clipping person andoften others too.

Existing efforts to solve this problem are mostly adding a nail clippingretainer that can catches and stores the nail clippings for futurediscard. Weidlich in U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,880 describes a nail clippingretaining device that comprises a unshaped elongate channel that isremovably fastened to a nail clipper. In Moncayo's invention in U.S.Pat. D506,289 the nail clipper has solid side walls and a retainerunderneath the clipper. Other U.S. patents such as U.S. Pat. No.6,523,545 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,090 also provide basically same ideathat gives retainer that stores the clippings for future discard. Addinga retainer only gives the nail clipper more complicated structure thatlooks strange, hard to keep clean, and it costs more.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The principal object of the invention is to prevent the nail clippingsfrom jumping away from the clipper and being scattered around the nailclipping site. The purpose of this invention is to block the nailclippings from jumping out of nail clipper so that the clipper user cancollect them easily and discard without mess, and it is not intended tostore nail clippings inside the clipper for a period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a nail clipping device for preventing the nailclippings from jumping away from the clipper and being scattered aroundthe nail clipping site. This device mainly consists of upper elongatepart, lower elongate part and lever arm, similar to the most common typeof nail clipper in present. Currently the most common type of nailclipper has openings on both sides between upper elongate part and lowerelongate part from where the nail clippings jumps out and scatters. Thisinvention includes vertical side walls that are extended from each sideedges of upper and lower elongate parts of the clipper. The height ofeach side wall is just a little bit shorter than a half of the distancebetween the upper elongate part and the lower elongate part of theclipper when the lever arm is pressed down for cutting. When the leverarm is released the upper and lower side walls are apart from each otheras the upper and lower elongate parts are separated. However, when thelever arm is pressed down for cutting nail, the upper and the lower sidewalls approximate each other to form a tight side wall on both sides andtrap the nail clippings within them. After clipping a nail, by openingthe clipper and holding it vertically over a desired place the nailclippings can be collected cleanly for discard. The best point of theinvention is that this device does not have complicated structure, anddoes require minimal or almost no additional cost to manufacturecomparing the most common type of nail clipper in current market. And itlooks almost identical except shallow vertical side walls extended fromthe upper and lower elongate parts that helps people to use this clipperwithout any hesitation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates general view of the nail clipper with catching sidewalls.

FIG. 2 illustrates the upper elongate part. (a) side view, (b) bottomview

FIG. 3 illustrates the lower elongate part. (a) side view, (b) top view

FIG. 4 illustrates the front and the side view of the nail clipper withcatching side walls.

-   -   Lever arm is released.

FIG. 5 illustrates the front and the side view of the nail clipper withcatching side walls.

-   -   Lever arm is pressed down for clipping nails.

FIG. 6 illustrates that the tip of a fingernail is inserted to the nailclipper for cutting.

FIG. 7 illustrates the tip of a fingernail that is clipped and trappedin the clipper.

FIG. 8 illustrates the clipper is opened and held vertically to releasethe trapped nail clipping.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

For a better understanding of the invention, we turn now to thedrawings.

FIG. 1 offers a visual understanding of how this invention would looklike. This nail clipper with catching side walls is mainly consisted ofupper elongate part 1, lower elongate part 2, and lever arm 3. Each ofupper elongate part 1 and lower elongate part 2 has two of verticalcatching side walls 4, one on each side.

FIG. 2 shows the upper elongate part 1 that has two vertical side walls4. The vertical side walls are made out of same material as the upperelongate part and it is more like downward extension from the sideedges. The height of the vertical side wall 4 is just a little bitshorter than a half of the distance between the upper elongate part 1and the lower elongate part 2 when the clipper is closed and the upperand lower cutting edges 8 touch each other.

FIG. 3 shows the lower elongate part that is identical to the upperelongate part. It is just up-side-down shape of the upper elongate part.

FIG. 4 shows how it looks like when the lever arm 3 is released and theclipper is opened. When the clipper is opened, there is relatively wideopening 9 exists between the upper and lower vertical side walls 4. Thisopening 9 helps the nail clipper user to cut nails more comfortably asthe user can see through the side opening 9 the nail portion which is tobe clipped.

FIG. 5 shows how it looks like when the lever arm 3 is pressed down andthe upper and lower cutting edges 8 touch each other. It is veryimportant that there is still a small gap exists between the upper andlower vertical side walls 4 when the lever arm 3 is completely presseddown because it enables the cutting edges 8 push hard against each otherto clip the nail. The catching side walls do not extend all the way tothe cutting edge 8, leaving a small opening 10. The opening 10 betweenthe cutting edges 8 and the catching side walls 4 helps to clip a nailthat is wider than the width of the cutting edge.

FIG. 6 shows the tip of the nail 6 of a finger 5 is inserted to theclipper and ready to be clipped.

FIG. 7 shows that the lever arm 3 is pressed down, the tip of the nail 6is clipped, and the clipped part 7 of the nail is trapped inside of thenail clipper between the vertical catching side walls 4. Again, there isstill a gap between the upper and lower side walls when the lever arm isfirmly pressed down. However, because this gap is very narrow, the nailclipping will not pass through the gap.

FIG. 8 shows how the nail clippings are disposed. The clipper is heldvertically so that the cutting edges face downward. Then the lever armis released to open the clipper, and the nail clipping 7 that had beentrapped inside the clipper is now dropped onto a desired area such as ona piece of paper or into a trashcan.

1. A nail clipper with catching side walls for clipping finger and toenails which consists of (a) upper and lower elongate parts which are twosubstantially identical, flat spring like parts, each including a firstend having a transverse cutting edge, and a second end that is theopposite end, the second ends of the elongate parts being affixedtogether such that the transverse cutting edges at the first ends arenormally spaced apart but can be pressed into cutting engagement witheach other against a natural spring bias of the elongate parts, saidelongate parts each having a hole located near said first end, the holesof said two elongate parts being in alignment, said elongate parts eachhaving two vertical catching side walls, one on each side; (b) a pinarranged to pass through the holes in said elongate parts, said pinhaving a head at one end which is larger than the said hole of saidelongate part and having a notch at the opposite end; (c) a lever armpivotally attached to said notch of said pin.
 2. A nail clipperaccording to claim 1 wherein said vertical catching side walls arevertical extensions of said upper and lower elongate parts that extendfrom each side edges of said elongate parts toward the opposite elongatepart.
 3. A nail clipper according to claim 1 wherein the upper and lowervertical catching side walls approximate each other forming a barrierthat blocks the nail clippings from jumping out the clipper when thesaid lever arm is pressed down and a part of nail is clipped.
 4. A nailclipper according to claim 1 wherein the height of each said verticalcatching side wall is just a little bit shorter than a half of thedistance between said upper elongate part and lower elongate part whensaid lever arm is pressed down firmly and the said transverse cuttingedges touch each other that allows a small gap exists between said upperand lower vertical catching side walls when the said transverse cuttingedges touch each other.
 5. A nail clipper according to claim 1 whereinthe gap between said upper and lower vertical catching side wallsbecomes relatively big when the said lever arm is released and the saidcutting edges are separated.
 6. A nail clipper according to claim 1wherein there is a small gap between said transverse cutting edge andsaid vertical catching side wall that helps to clip a nail that is widerthan the width of the cutting edge.